Documentation
Everything you need to know to record, auto-edit, and share with Focal.
Getting started
The whole flow in five steps.
- Open Focal and pick what to record — an entire screen or a specific window.
- Optionally turn on Record a custom area (screens only) and drag out the exact region you want.
- Turn on Webcam and/or Microphone if you want them included.
- Click Start Recording. After a 3-second countdown, Focal minimizes out of the way and recording begins.
- Do whatever you're recording. Click normally — Focal is quietly tracking clicks in the background to drive auto zoom later.
When you're done, stop recording and the editor opens automatically with zoom moments already generated.
Permissions
macOS requires two permissions the first time you record. Windows doesn't need either.
| Permission | What it's for | If you skip it |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Recording | Required to capture anything at all | Recording can't start |
| Accessibility | Lets Focal detect clicks for auto zoom | Zoom falls back to detecting cursor pauses instead of clicks — still works, just less precise |
macOS should prompt for both automatically the first time you record. If you dismissed a prompt or it never appeared, grant them manually in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording (and → Accessibility), then relaunch Focal.
Recording
Entire screen vs. window
Pick from the source grid on launch. Screens support a custom recording area; windows are recorded at their actual size and follow the window if it moves.
Custom area
For screen sources only. Turn on Record a custom area, then drag out the exact rectangle to record. This has to be set before you hit Start — it can't be changed mid-recording.
Webcam & microphone
Both optional, both toggled from the setup screen before recording. The webcam appears as a draggable, resizable bubble in the editor afterward; microphone audio gets its own track, with an optional voice-enhancement pass on export.
Stopping
Click Stop Recording in the (now-minimized) Focal window, or press ⌘⇧S / Ctrl+Shift+S from anywhere — it works even while another app is focused.
Auto zoom
The core feature — no manual keyframing required.
While you record, Focal logs every click. When you open the editor, nearby clicks (close in time and screen position) get grouped into zoom-in moments automatically — shown as purple blocks on the timeline.
Editing a zoom block
- Drag a block to move it in time.
- Drag its edges to stretch or shorten it.
- Double-click a block to remove it.
- Double-click the preview while a block is selected to re-aim where it zooms.
- Use + Add at playhead to manually insert a zoom anywhere.
Zoom level, whether it follows the cursor while zoomed, and glide (transition) speed are all adjustable from the Zoom panel — either as new defaults, or for just the selected block.
Cursor
For window recordings on macOS, the real system cursor is excluded from the capture itself (not just visually covered up) and redrawn as a clean vector cursor from the tracked mouse path — so it stays sharp no matter how far you zoom in.
From the Cursor panel you can adjust size, smoothing, click highlight rings, auto-hide when idle, and whether it glides back to its start position for a loopable clip.
Masking
Use masks to pixelate anything you don't want visible — passwords, emails, account numbers. Add a mask, then drag it into place directly on the preview. Masks track your zooms automatically, so they stay correctly positioned even as the view zooms and pans.
Timeline & styling
Timeline
Trim the start or end with the outer handles, or select a section and cut it out entirely — cut sections are skipped on export, shown as a red hatched block on the timeline.
Overlays
Add text slides, draggable annotations, images, or B-roll video clips, all placed at the current playhead position.
Canvas, background & layout
Pick an aspect ratio (16:9, 9:16, 1:1, 4:3), a background (preset gradient, solid color, or your own image), and adjust padding, corner radius, and shadow for the framed look.
Export & share
Choose a format and resolution, optionally enable voice enhancement (a filtering/compression chain for clearer narration), then hit Export Video.
After exporting, Copy shareable link uploads the file and gives you a link to send — no account needed, roughly 30-day retention.
Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⇧S / Ctrl+Shift+S | Stop recording, from any app |
Troubleshooting
"Focal can't be opened" / SmartScreen warning — Focal isn't code-signed by a registered developer yet, so both operating systems flag a fresh install. On Mac: right-click the app in Finder → Open (only needed once). On Windows: click More info → Run anyway in the SmartScreen prompt.
No cursor data / clicks aren't generating zooms
Check the diagnostics line in the editor's Zoom panel — it shows whether the click hook is active. If it says permission is missing, grant Accessibility access (see Permissions) and restart Focal.
Custom area option is missing
It only appears for screen sources, not windows — pick an entire-screen source first.